03-09-18

The value we’ll be studying is collaboration, which emphasizes the interdependence of all creatures.

For safety, we’ll learn about calling 911.

Outside, we’ll do a burlap sack relay.

The songs we’ll be singing are Pop Goes the Weasel, London Bridge, Green Grass Grows All Around, It’s a Small World, and Are You Sleeping, Brother John.

For creative dramatics, we’ll learn the story of The Elves and the Shoemaker.

Our art activities will be leprechaun ladders, sprout shamrocks, pasta sculpture, Michelangelo creations, and rainbow with a pot of gold.

For motor development we’ll work on strength with sit ups, push ups, and deep knee bends in German, French, and Spanish. For bilaterality, we’ll play hopscotch, parachute toss, and ball bounces.

STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY

So now we’ve had another crisis of violence in a school, a place that is supposed to be immune to violence. We really know that no place is immune — MacDonald’s or a church, the mall or a gas station, the Olympics or the Boston Marathon. As guardians of our children, the fury of seeming to be unable to protect them becomes overwhelming. That can’t be. As a country, we’ve stood ready to fight wrong — and violence is wrong. We can fight this. As a community, we can stand together, stronger because of our moral outrage against the killing of innocents. What to do? Here are some beginning steps:

Teach your family how to deal with imminent violence by (1) recognizing danger, (2) how to notify people who can help, and (3) getting yourself out of danger. Amazingly, when an incident occurs, many people will run toward the incident. Teach your family to avoid the situation and stay out of the way of people trained in emergency response.

Develop ties in your community. Know your neighbors. National Night Out for Texas is every fall. Can you do something to get your neighbors to gather for an informal driveway party sort of regularly? The dissolution of the nuclear family may be sad, but the dissolution of community has created a safety hazard for us all.

Teach your children how to get to know people. Appreciate diversity. Off and on, as a part of our enrichment curriculum, the children do projects to understand how people think. Affirm that process in your home.

Get to know your child’s world. Visit in the school for a few minutes every time you come in. We have many events at the school that give you an opportunity to understand your child’s days, to get to know other parents, and to use the skills and experience of our staff. Seize the opportunity of keeping these ties strong.

Feel free to watch out for other people’s children. Let them keep an eye out for your child. You won’t always agree, but if we always keep guard, it’ll be a healthier community.

Be aware. When your ties in the community are strong, you know what is normal. You know what should be. If things are not right, figure out what to do. Talk with your friends. Do they agree? Take action. Don’t pretend the trouble will go away. Mostly it doesn’t. The time has come for us to be strong together.

There are a lot of problems. But we are a strong people. If every one of us takes a stand to do the right thing every day in every way, then we can work toward the world we want to bequeath to our children.

Coming Up

Conferences – The time is coming when we’ll be sitting together to focus on the little one that is so important to us. Your child’s teacher (including infants) has been preparing to share your child’s progress. You might want to begin a list of things you’ve been wondering about.

Easter Egg Hunt – We’ll do an egg hunt on Thursday, March 29, but we’ll need to have wonderful trinkets for the children to find in their eggs. Please think about things you could bring that would be good, and we’ll also need plastic eggs. Plan to bring things on Monday, March 26, so we can get everything prepared. Please be mindful that children who are under 3 years need items that are considered non-choking hazardous.

St. Patrick’s Day – In recognition of St Patrick’s Day, let’s make Friday March 16, a fun day let’s all wear green

Be Aware – When arriving at the school you are encouraged to turn off your car and lock your doors. In past years cars have been broken into in our parking lot while dropping off in the morning and we like for you to be aware and take the proper precautions to keep you and your things safe.